Peter Farmer, the director of She Stoops to Conquer spends five minutes with us talking about the upcoming production.

1. What is She Stoops to Conquer about?Good question! On one level it’s a gentle satire on the class system, showing the irony between our expectations/delusions and the truth, but for me it’s really Oliver Goldsmith’s ability to make us laugh as much at ourselves now as when it written 245 years ago.

2. Why did you want to direct this show?Apart from the above it’s full of original, well drawn characters with a great balance between verbal and physical comedy and hey, if it’s in the repertory of most other great English-speaking cities why not Sydney?

3. What attracted you to this show?I’ve loved it ever since studying it in my uni days. Best summed up by overseas critics as having ‘a generosity of spirit that lurks within the humour and affection the author feels for his characters’ or for something more down to earth, ‘a work of pure pleasure in which good humour and romance prevail.’ It’s also a pleasure moving away from the intensity of AWAY, which I directed for Lane Cove Theatre Company in 2016.

4. Which character are you most looking forward to see come to life?They’re all wonderfully written! Even the servants create their own comic momentum. Every time I rehearse an actor, they’re the one I want to most see come to life.

5. What is the most challenging part of this show for you?It’s a big 240 year old play unseen in this city for decades with big characters, lots of dialogue, huge comic potential and a mainly young cast. Where’s the challenge in that?